Handwheel and method of making the same



March 30 Q 1926.

" H. D. GEYER HAND WHEEL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed August 30, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 111v Enrilni' March 30 1926.

H. D. GEY ER HAND WHEEL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed August 50, 1922 Sheets-Sheet z flarzeyi). figg er Z 4 mama;

urns

Patented Mar. 30, 1926.

I 1,57s.,s21 UNI-TED STA: s: PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY 1). QGEYER, or DAYTON, om'o', AssIeNoR, BY ivrnsnn Assrenivrnnrs, FfO THE DELAWARE.

INLAND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, for DA T N', 0310, A oonroR 'rIon or HANDWI-IEEL ND marital) or MAK NG THE SAMEII Application filed August so, 1922. Seria1 No. 585,189.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it-known that I, HARVEY D. GEYER, a

citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Dayton, county of Montgomery, and State of Ohio, have invented certam new and useful Improvementsjin -I-Iandwheels and Methods of Making the Same, of which the followingis a full, clear, and

exact description.

This invention relates to handwheels and includes suchas those ordinarily, employed as steering wheels for motor 1 vehicles and the like.

"An object of this invention is to PIOVldG' 5 an improved steering wheel having the arms of the spiderxrigidlysecured to the central hub in an efficient and economical manner to give good appearance and highlstrength. An object is to provide an improved method of assembling the wheel by insert ing the spokes separately and later attaching the spokes to the central hub.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whereinpre ferred forms of embodiment of the present invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings: 1

Fig. 1' is a plan view of one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the handwheel of F g. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4: is a plan view ofa modified form of the invention.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the wheel of Fig. 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig.5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the stub arms of the metallic hub.

In the drawings, like or similar reference characters refer to like or similar parts throughout the several views.

of the handwheel therein shown, and '11 the spider in its entirety. The construction of the spider 11 will now be descrlbed in detail. The central metallic hub comprises an upper part 15 and a lower part 16, the planes of division between these two parts preferably bisecting the stub arms 13 of the hub as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. These parts 15 and 16 comprising the hub are In Fig. 1, numeral 10 designates the rim 1 preferably die castings of aluminum or any othensuitable metal. The "stub arms 13 of the hub are provided with recesses 14 to receive the inner ends 20. of thewooden spider spokes 12whichare so shaped as-to snugly fit said recesses 14 while the hub parts 15 and 16 are tightlyofastened together,

by bolts, screws or other suitable means. In Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown the spoke ends 20 as dovetailed both in plan view and in 7 elevation and therefore when the hub parts 15 and 16 -have.been' rigidly secured together this dovetail joint will positively prevent the spokes being W'ithdrawn from the hub and makes a stronger'joint. If desired however, theends 20? may bendovetailedonly along one face or two faces 'instead oftfour as shown. 'Orthedovetailjointmay be dispensed with 'entirelyan'dtheSPQke ends 20 held in the recesses lL-loy being clamped (I tightly therein. The screws 21 by which the hub parts 15 and 16 are secured together preferably pass through the spoke ends 20 I also, as clearly shown in thedrawings. I

' The abovedesoribed spider 11 may be first completely assembled and then inserted in the rim 10'by any of. the well known meth- .ods, such as by cutting recesses in the under side of the rim and then plugging up these recesses after the spider arms have been inserted therein, or by sawing the rim in halves, cutting recesses in one of the sawed faces for receiving the spider arms, and then securing the two halves of the rim together by v glue or otherwise.

An important feature of this invention however is the method by which the spider spokes may be separately inserted in radial or substantially radial recesses in. the rim and then the spider spokes rigidly secured to the central hub. For this method of in sertion the recesses 25 may be cut in the inner periphery of the rim 10 by a rotating cutter or routing wheel or by any other suitable means. The outerends of the spokes 12 are then firmly pressed in place in these recesses. In .order to attach the free inner ends 20 of the spokes to the hub, the wheel is preferably turned upside down and the ends 20 first inserted in the recesses provided therefor in the top hub portion 15. The lower hub portion 16 is then placedlin position. and the screws 21 inserted, thus clamping the spoke ends 20-tightly between] scribed above. The hub 30 however is made in only one piece and has its recesses 31 open at the bottom to permit the insertion of the inner ends 32 of the spokes 12, as clearly shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. Tlhe spoke ends 32 may be dovetailed as shown in Fig. 4, or not as desired. Preferably these ends 32 are slightly wedge shaped, as best shown in Fig. 6, in order to insure a snug fit against the lateral walls of the recesses 31. The spokes are held firmly fixed in the recesses 31' by screws 83, preferably two or more being used in order to insure a rigid connection.

While the forms of mechanism herein shown and described constitute preferred forms of embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

'l'Vh-a-t I claimis as follows:

1; A handwheel having a rim, dished wooden spokes having greater.- width than thickness, and a metallic center having stub arms having recesses for receiving the inner ends of the wooden spokes, said metallic center being divided into two parts the plane of division extending through. said recesses to permit the lateral insertion of the, spokes therein, and meansinterconnecting the upper and lower portions of the stub arms and passing through the innerends of the spokes for clamping the spokes and the divided hub portions rigidly together.

2. A handwheel having a rim, wooden spokes and metallic hub, recesses in said permit the insertion of the spokes in the re-* cesses and means passing through the spoke ends from one hub section to the other for retaining the hub sections and spokes rigidly in place,

'In testimony whereof-I hereto affix my signature;

HARVEY D. GEYER. 

